Running is one of the exercises with the most impact on the heart and in this article; we will like to discuss the impact of running on cardiovascular health.
Cardiovascular comprises of all the circulatory systems, from the heart that pumps blood to the vessels involved in transporting blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the entire tissues of the body and removal of waste products.
It is very essential to engage in exercises that will keep your heart pumping to improve your cardiovascular health. This will inherently keep you from or lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Running is an exercise that has been proven to be very effective at getting your heart pumping. You can also read about other cardio exercises you can do at home here.
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Benefits of Running
- Running is cheaper and more impactful than other exercises. What you need to run is just your determination to do it. You do not need a gym membership that might be too pricey.
- The ability to do it at your own pace and schedule is also an advantage. There will be nothing like a crowded gym room or intimidating equipment which makes more people neglects exercising.
- Running can also be done in a gym or in the comfort of your home through a treadmill; therefore, it is an exercise that can be done based on your preference.
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How Running Improves your Cardiovascular Health
Weight Loss
Do you wish to burn more fats and lose weight? Then running is one of the best exercises you should consider. Overweight and obese are at higher risk of heart diseases, therefore, running helps you to lose more weight and maintain a good BMI. This will be very rewarding to your heart and ultimately the cardiovascular system.
Strengthens the Heart
Running exercises your heart and by such improves the heart muscle. When you run, your heart beats faster thereby exercising the heart. If you do this regularly, the wall of your heart will become more strengthened and thereby improves its performance.
It Lowers Blood Pressure
Running is a good exercise that helps reduce cholesterol levels in the blood in the blood especially the low-density lipoprotein. This will helps to reduce the risk of high blood pressure that could be very harmful to the heart and overall cardiovascular health.
Your Heart Pumps more Blood per Beat
Due to strong heart muscles, your heart becoming stronger due to regular running exercise, it actually makes the heart capable of pumping more blood per beat. This will reduce the workload on the heart and allow it to perform its work with ease thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Risk of Excessive Running to the Heart
When you run, it will either affect your heart positively or negatively. Running is no doubt very beneficial; however, too much of it might pose serious health to the heart and cardiovascular health. Also, some people might not find running to be beneficial due to an underlying health condition. It is vital to seek the advice of your physiotherapist before engaging in any new exercise.
Below are some risks associated with excessive running:
- Causes Fibrosis: This is due to the excessive thickness of the heart muscles resulting from too much running. This may lead to an irregular heartbeat too.
- Oxidative Stress: This occurs when there is a build-up of free radicals that may bind with cholesterol to cause havoc in the arteries.
Risk of Running on the Joint
Running has a lot of risks especially on the joint. We discuss some of the risks below. However, you can also read more about safety when running here.
Running is a full impact exercise and sure puts you at risk of injury compared to low/no impact exercises like the stationary exercise bike.
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While running, you are at risk of sustaining injuries like a meniscus tear, ACL and LCL tear, knee and ankle sprain, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, and hamstring injuries among others.
It is essential to take some safety precautions for running when you decide to engage in this exercise. Wearing an orthopedic brace to stabilize your ankle and knee joints can also be a good way to reduce the risk.
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Is running everyday good for the heart?
Exercising every day is good for the overall health of the body and that also includes running. With the correct duration of running done daily can be very vital to perfect heart health.
What happens if I run 30 minutes a day?
30 minutes run per day is considered to be very normal and healthy. However, it still depends on your strength and how fit you are. For starters, 15 minutes is considered okay to burn fat and kick start your metabolism.
Conclusion
The benefits of running on cardiovascular health cannot be overemphasized especially when done correctly. Running at correct duration and intensity will greatly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease – heart to the arteries.
Running is cost-effective and all you need is the willingness to do it. Either on the street or indoor on the treadmill, it greatly helps the cardio health and sure keeps you fit.